The Shoe Tree

My niece Jenn sent me this picture of a tree in the middle of the Oregon desert. She had posted these pics on her blog here.

Here is what she wrote about the tree.

I’m not sure why this tree always freaks me out. I mean, it’s not like the tree stole all these shoes by itself - but it really makes me think, “who took the time to throw all those pairs of shoes up in a tree in the middle of the desert?”. Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about all the things that people do that, in the long run, really don’t matter at all. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that with some sort of angst or anything, I just think pressing on into things that actually matter eternally, may be the ticket. I was reading James (you know Martin Luther called it the gospel of straw... what??) - and James 4:13-15 NKJV says this:
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”
So, unlike this tree that doesn’t really “mean” anything, I want my life to be spent doing something that, not only means something, but more importantly means something to God.

You can also check out my new great niece here and here.

(yes, I am a great aunt three times over, plus one more on the way. I'm sure I am way too young for that distinction yet)

Thanks, Jenn, for being the first to send me a tree since I sent out a request. Since your dad Kent started it, maybe we can get Drew to send one, too.